doing_a_doctorate_in_germany

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RequirementsProgrammes

Career Prospects

in Germany | 2010


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Editorial 3

Doing a Doctorate in Germany

blisher

D

scher Akademischer Austauschdienst

man Academic Exchange Service

edyallee 50

5 Bonn

many

dination:

ander Haridi, Cornelia Hauswald, Section 532: Promotion o

y and Research in Germany, Campaigns

shing House:

etts-Verlag

kenallee 7181

7 Frankurt

many

rs:

t Schayan (responsible),

da Achterhold, Dr. Sabine Giehle

gn: Sylvia Bernhardt

uction: Andr Herzog

slators: R.W. Culverhouse, Pauline Cumbers,

k Whitfeld

r Design: Christian Padberg

re Credits: cover: Drthe Hagenguth; page 3: Dominik Gigler,

erhoer/Himsel/DAAD (2), Dominik Mentzos, Jrg Glscher; page

sserhoer/Himsel/DAAD; page 5: Jan Greune, page 7: Dominik

r; pages 8/9: Tim Wegner; page 10: Jrg Glscher; pages 11, 12:

enscheid/DAAD; page 13: Jan Greune; page 14: Jrg Glscher;

15: Dominik Mentzos; page 19: Ausserhoer/Himsel/DAAD; pagean Greune; page 23: Dominik Gigler; pages 24/25: Toma

vic; page 27: Jrg Glscher; page 28: Jan Greune; page 30:

erhoer/Himsel/DAAD, Jan Jacob Homann, Hub/DAAD; page

usserhoer/Himsel/DAAD (2); Hub/DAAD;

er: Boniatius GmbH, Paderborn

ber 2009

AD

publication was unded by the German Federal Foreign Ofce.

04 What Germany oers as a centre o

higher education and research

06 Which paths lead to a doctorate

10 What structured programmes oer

12 What proessors expect

14 What everyday research involves

16 Where to do a doctorate

A doctorate is a decision or lie, an investment in your uture but also a time-consuming

challenge that needs to be given careul consideration. A doctorate demands a great deal

o energy, discipline and perseverance. In Germany some 25,000 graduates successully

complete the doctoral process every year ar more than in any other European country.

And increasing numbers o up-and-coming international researchers are coming to

Germany to write their doctoral dissertations, to complete their doctorates as members o

research teams: since 1997 the number o oreigners registered as doctoral students in

Germany has more than doubled to just under 17,000.

The German doctorate enjoys an outstanding reputation in all disciplines. And today

universities and research institutions between Aachen and Zittau present young research-

ers with many dierent paths to a doctorate. Especially the structured doctoral programmes

that have been established over recent years oer international graduates extremely attrac-

tive opportunities as a member o a research team that provides intensive support and

swit results. Nevertheless, there is no single ideal path to a doctoral degree. That is why

this brochure aims to present an overview o the dierent orms o doctoral research rom

traditional individual supervision to the structured programmes at graduate schools, re-

search training groups and the International Max Planck Research Schools. It should also

help by providing a lot o useul inormation on the ormal requirements as well as

dierent orms o unding. International students who have decided to do a doctorate in

Germany will also have their say: they report on their everyday routine and their experi-

ences, oer tips and words o encouragement or other scholars considering taking up

the challenge o doctoral research. Human resources consultant Dr. Tiemo Kracht con-

frms that this decision is worthwhile: In any event, doing a doctorate in Germany is

a beneft. However, he also explains that the important thing about a d octorate is not

the academic title, but t he satisaction o getting to grips with complex subject matter.

And that has its own lasting merit irrespective o your subsequent career.

We hope you have an enjoyable and inormative read.

Web addresses lead to more

detailed inormation on each

topic.

Contents

18 What you can do beore you start

20 Which orms o unding exist

22 What is special about lie in Germany

26 How a doctorate can help your

career

30 Where to fnd more inormation

Long versions o the interviews

with experts are available online

at www.daad.de/promotion


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Higher Education Landscape

ghly two-thirds o the 360 higher edu-

ion institutions (universities, universi-

es o applied sciences, colleges o art

d music) in Germany are state-run. In

ntrast to many other countries, private

gher education institutions play only a

or role. Well over 90% o the students

Germany attend a state-run institution

higher education. The principle o the

nity o research and teaching applies

t universities: in other words, they are

eaching institutions and centres o ad-

ced research that engage in intensive

change with scholars and research in-

stitutions in and outside Germany.

erman Research Foundation (DFG)

e DFG is the central, sel-governing re-

rch organisation and the most impor-

tant under o research in Germany.

Doctorate Involves Research:esearch in Germany

www.daad.de

The DAAD website oers everything you

need to know about higher education in

Germany. A scholarship database helps

users fnd appropriate unding opportuni-

ties (German, English, Spanish).

www.research-in-germany.deThis Internet portal is aimed at interna-

tional scholars and provides a great deal

o useul inormation about the research

landscape in Germany. It also highlights

recent developments in German higher

education and oers advice and guidance

or research visits (German, English).

www.hochschulkompass.de

The German Rectors Conerence (HRK)

provides inormation about study pro-

grammes and international collaborations

at this address. A database enables visi-

tors to search or doctoral programmes,

or example, or the names and addresses

o contacts at universities (German, Eng-

lish).

Germany is a world-class centre o scholar-

ship and research. German universities

and research institutions are among the

best in the world. There are many reasons

or this: or example, the large choice o

higher education centres and types o insti-

tution namely some 165 locations with

360 higher education institutions includ-

ing 140 entitled to award doctorates (uni-

versities o applied sciences do not have

this right). Additionally, Germany can oer

a wide range o subjects (more than 5,000

dierent study programmes rom agricul-

ture to zoology), well-equipped research

establishments as well as highly qualifed

sta and an increasingly international

orientation.

Germany is one o the worlds most attrac-

tive centres o higher education: some

235,000 oreigners study here (including

56,000 with a German school-leaving

qualifcation). That means that more than

one in ten students holds an international

passport and Germany is t he most impor-

tant host country or international students

ater the USA and the UK.

However, top research is not only conduct-

ed at universities. Hundreds o non-univer-

sity research establishments oer ideal

working conditions rarely matched any-

where in the world. The most productive

research organizations include the Max

Planck Society, the Helmholtz Association,

the Leibniz Association and the Fraun-

hoer Society. The Helmholtz Association

alone with 16 research centres and 8,000

sta has an annual budget o roughly

2.8 billion euros. Since the Max Planck So-

ciety was ounded in 1948, researchers at

its 76 institutes have been honoured with

17 Nobel Prizes in addition to numerous

other international awards.

Excellence clusters

The German higher education landscape

stands out because o the close cooperation

between universities, research institutions

and industry. Research institutions and

business enterprises come together at the

regional level in excellence clusters to

pool their innovative orce. That is also

why Germany is one o t he leading coun-

tries in innovative, orward-looking re-

search felds such as environmental tech-

nology and nanotechnology. This applies to

research and industry: or example, Ger-

many ranks third in relation to patent reg-

istrations in nanotechnology and ourth in

nanoscientifc publications. In the environ-

mental feld, Germany holds a leading

position among the OECD countries in

terms o the proportion o gross domestic

product spent on research and develop-

ment.

German universities also enjoy great inter-

national recognition in the humanities and

social sciences. Innovative researchers and

prize-winners teach at German universi-

ties. Humanities specialists and social

scientists have won 58 o the 270 Gottried

Wilhelm Leibniz Prizes, the most highly

endowed German research award, that

have been presented since 1986.

Structured doctoral programmes

Doctoral students in Germany are part o

this research process. Gaining a doctorate

is seen as the frst phase o a research ca-

reer. That also explains how the traditional

process o attaining a German doctorate

diers in many respects rom the Anglo-

American PhD system, in which the PhD

student merely acquires a degree. How-

ever, German higher education is in the

midst o a ar-reaching process o renewal

and many universities already have what

are known as structured doctoral pro-grammes and research training groups

(Doktorandenkolleg). Additionally, re-


Links

Research in Germany 5

Doctorates Germany Ranks First

in Europe

USA 56,067

Germany 24,946

UK 16,456

Japan 15,979

France 9,818

Italy 9,604

An international comparison o completed

doctorates in the OECD countries (in absolute terms,

2006), source: OECD

search schools and centres comparable to

Anglo-American graduate schools have al-

so been established in collaboration with

non-university institutions such as Max

Planck Institutes or the German Research

Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemein-

schat, DFG). Their structured doctoral

programmes enrich the higher education

system and expand the opportunities or

international students to gain a doctorate

in Germany.

Many scientifc organizations and research

institutions support young international

scholars with project unding, scholarships

and prizes. The most important are the

Federal Ministry o Education and Re-

search (BMBF), the DFG and the GermanAcademic Exchange Service (Deutscher

Akademischer Austauschdienst, DAAD).

German Academic

Exchange Service (DAAD)

The DAAD, a joint agency o institutions o

higher education in Germany and major

unding organization, supports interna-

tional relations in the higher education

sector. As a rule, its programmes and

projects are open to all disciplines and

countries and beneft Germans and non-

Germans alike. The DAAD maintains a

worldwide network o ofces, lecturers

and alumni associations and also oers

guidance abroad.

rn surroundings: Norman Foster, the leading British architect, designed the Philological Library at FU Berlin

Advanced scientifc research:

Max Planck Institute or Plant Breeding

Research, Cologne

8,997

9,707

10,644

12,326

13,411

14,84715,283

15,818

16,994

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

1999/00 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08

Increasing Numbers of International Doctoral Students in Germany

Registered

doctoralstudents,

Destatis2009


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Finanzierung

Pros and Cons: Structured Doctoral Programmes


Wheres the best place to study or a doc-

torate? Douwe Bonthuis had no trouble an-

swering this question. My subject was the

decisive actor, says the Dutchman. For

the last two years he has been researching

a biophysical question at the TU Munich.

The group working with my proessor,

Roland Netz, is considered one o the best

in Europe.

I you decide to do a doctorate in Germany,

you can choose between two dierent ap-

proaches. Students who take the traditional

route must rst nd a supervisor (Doktor-

vater or Doktormutter) beore they can start

on their doctoral dissertation, which they

complete very much on their own. This very

ree system with no compulsory attendance,

deadlines or binding curriculum calls or a

great deal o personal initiative. Doctoral

students are very much let to their own de-

vices. However, or someone like 27-year-old

Douwe Bonthuis, who wanted to complete

his doctorate with a particular specialist,

this so-called apprentice model is very ap-

propriate. The vast majority o doctoral stu-

dents in Germany according to data pub-

lished by the German Science Council,

some 90% still select this approach.

Additionally, however, a second route to a

doctoral degree is gaining in popularity and

attracting increasing numbers o students:

The literary studies specialist was won over

by the programme at the International

Graduate School or the Study o Culture

at Giessen University: Doctoral students

meet with two proessors every two weeks

to discuss their results in special collo-

quia, explains the Russian researcher.

That structures your schedule enormous-

ly. I you take the traditional doctoral path,

you also have the opportunity to exchange

views in postgraduate seminars and collo-

quia, but structured programmes oer

much more intensive support and encour-

agement.

Whats best? A doctoral programme or the

apprentice model? The choice hinges on a

variety o actors. First o all, it depends

on the specialist interest, says Dr. Birgit

Klsener, DAAD. For practical reasons

ructured or Traditional?ths to a Doctorate

Paths to a Doctorate

Supervisors

n German the supervisor o a doctoral

ent is known as Doktorvater or Doktor-

ter (literary doctor ather or doctor

ther). No one has an automatic right

be accepted as a doctoral student by a

oessor. In all cases outside structured

grammes acceptance by a supervisor

s the prerequisite or recognition as a

octoral student by a university and ad-

ance to study and/or take the doctoral

examination.

Research Training Groups

A group o researchers study a topical

ject within these temporary organiza-

. Research training groups are unded

y the DFG, universities or oundations.

With 10 to 20 doctoral students, these

oups are manageable and enable very

intensive support. Research training

ups are interdisciplinary in nature and

er doctoral students tailormade semi-

and programmes. As a rule, a doctor-

takes three years in such a group (see

page 17).

Graduate Schools

e graduate schools established under

e auspices o the Excellence Initiative

are much broader in scope and more

nterdisciplinary in nature than the the-

tically more ocused research training

roups. Participants are integrated in a

m in which they regularly present theirresults. Admittance is dependent on a

rormance-based selection procedure.

terviews are even conducted by video

nk or oreign students (see page 17).

Structured programmes quickly lead to

a doctoral degree as a rule in three years.

Supervision is carried out by several

university teachers. Doctoral students are

not dependent on the goodwill o a single

proessor.

Special emphasis is placed on team-

work and practical application. Students

requently work on joint research projects

and have a lot o opportunity to exchange

views with other students and supervisors.

The question o unding is oten re-

solved by acceptance on the programme.

Foreign doctoral students are supported

The traditional doctoralpath was ideal or me

because I wanted to writemy doctoral dissertation

under the supervision o myproessor. His research groupis one o the best in Europe.The act that I have to holdseminars does involve work,but I also beneft rom that.

Douwe Bonthuis, Netherlands

The physicist is doing a doctorate at the

TU Munich.

it involves completing a doctorate within the

ramework o a structured programme com-

parable with the PhD programmes oered

by the higher education systems in English-

speaking countries. Structured doctoral pro-

grammes are oered by:

Research training groups organized by

the German Research Foundation

(DFG)

Graduate schools at universities

Doctoral programmes at universities

International Max Planck Research

Schools

There are already some 600 structured doc-

toral programmes available in Germany.

Many o them are internationally oriented

and conducted in English. They are usually

organized by several research groups work-

ing in close cooperation, which enables re-

search o the highest standard. Such pro-

grammes oer many advantages, especially

or international candidates. These include,

or example, curricular programmes, exi-

ble admittance or Bachelors graduates and

also more general support in everyday situa-

tions. Another advantage is the relatively

short time in which doctoral students can

achieve their goal as a rule, ater three

years. Ksenia Robbe rom St. Petersburg,

who is also 27 years old, decided in avour

o this kind o structured doctoral pro-

gramme.

many people remain at the university

where they studied or spent a semester

abroad and then just use the options that

are available to them there. I you studied

abroad and now want to do a doctorate in

Germany, it is much easier to gain an over-

view o structured doctoral programmes

rom outside the country. Places on these

programmes are advertised publicly and

the application process is more transpar-

ent. Frequently support contracts are

agreed that precisely dene rights and obli-

gations. That gives doctoral candidates a

better idea o what is expected o them.

One major dierence to the traditional ap-

prentice model is the act that as a rule

structured programmes give doctoral stu-

dents two supervisors. That means their

academic support does not depend on the

goodwill o a single proessor. An interdis-

Structured Doctoral Programmes

These doctoral programmes are run at

universities according to a relatively strict

timetable and involve intensive support.

They have a clearly defned curriculum

that prescribes participation in seminars

and the production o papers at specifc

intervals. As a rule, this kind o doctorate

takes three years.

!in a variety o ways throughout the entire

doctoral process. Assistance with every-day problems is also provided, as is

personal guidance.

Applicants have to complete a multi-

level application procedure. Thats why

you must plan ahead and leave enough

time or the application process.

The programme o colloquia and

workshops is very packed. I you attempt

to take all the options available, you can

easily overload your timetable.

The subject o your doctoral dissertation

must t in with the programme; it is oten

not possible to select your own subject.

qualities as a mentor. It is useul to put

out eelers in the department early on,because word soon spreads about who

successully supports doctoral students.

A traditional doctorate takes longer

roughly our to ve years.

The subjects o doctoral dissertations

are requently too specialized, too little

integrated into research rameworks.

You have to take care o unding

yoursel.

There are ew guidelines and doctoral

students have to struggle through on

their own.

Although the apprentice model

demands a high degree o individual ini-tiative, it also oers doctoral students a

great deal o reedom and enables them

to shape their own doctoral research.

It is particularly well suited or doctoral

students who would like to study or a

doctorate with a specic proessor.

The traditional path oers great

reedom in the choice o subject or the

doctoral dissertation (particularly in

the humanities and social sciences).

Finding a suitable supervisor can

prove difcult. He or she should be an

expert in the eld, but also have certain

Pros and Cons: Traditional Doctorate


5/17

Finanzierung

I decided in avour o a structured doc-toral programme at a graduate school. I

like the interdisciplinary work atmos-phere. Additionally, the timetable is well-

structured and there are lots o interestingseminars on oer.

Ksenia Robbe, Russia

The literary studies specialist is studying or a doctorate at the

International Graduate School or the Study o Culture in Giessen.


www.academics.com

The joint website o weekly newspaper

Die Zeit and specialist journal Forschung

& Lehre oers a lot o topical inormation

under the heading Do a PhD. This in-

cludes articles on the advantages and dis-

advantages o a traditional doctorate and

structured programmes, advice on appli-

cations and unding as well as background

inormation on the dierences between

subjects (German, English).

Link

Proessor Neher, you are the speaker o the International Max Planck Research

School (IMPRS) or Neurosciences in Gttingen. Do structured programmes rep-

resent a more attractive route to a doctorate than the traditional path?Doctoral students used to be very much let to their own devices, which is not easy,

especially or international candidates. The IMPRSs oer support that makes the

process easier. We help students nd their eet, or example, by assisting them in

their dealings with authorities or establishing contacts with ellow researchers.

Has the traditional supervisor gone out o style?

It is a good system or the best, because it oers much greater reedom provided the

supervisor is committed. But that is not always the case. To that extent, supervision by

a committee with several members certainly has advantages. Having to present your

results beore a commission once a year can add a healthy element o compulsion.

How are German doctoral degrees regarded internationally?

In our subject, very highly indeed! In biochemistry and neurosciences successul doc-

toral students rom Germany are highly appreciated as postdoc researchers abroad.

Paths to a Doctorate

ciplinary ramework also enables students

to look beyond their own noses. Dierent

disciplines work within the graduate

school, so I also have dealings with histori-

ans and ethnologists, emphasizes English

studies specialist Ksenia Robbe. I could

already sense the open-minded work at-

mosphere on the website that was a very

important criteria or me.

The programme in Giessen relies on

multilevel monitoring. Doctoral and post-

doc scholars rom dierent disciplines

work together in what are known as re-

search areas. Everyone can present his

or her project in these courses and re-ceives eedback rom very dierent direc-

tions, says Ksenia Robbe. Interchange

also unctions very well on an inormal

level because all the doctoral students are

in the same building. Its great that I

only have to walk across the corridor to

discuss a question, enthuses the Russian

researcher. She makes ull use o the

graduate schools many opportunities.

She has courses two or three days a week

and heads a seminar or students hersel

every Monday. Its a voluntary arrange-

ment, not an obligation. I choose the

subjects mysel and structure and devel-

op the course, says Ksenia Robbe.

For Douwe Bonthuis, who is taking the

traditional path to a doctorate, teaching is

part o his contract. The Dutchman has

a part-time (three-quarters) post at the TU

Munich and is well able to live on thesalary. He has to teach ve seminars, each

o them on a dierent subject. In the

beginning he was not very enthusiastic

about this obligation. Today, however,

he sees the advantages: Seminars involve

a lot o work, but they oer a good op-

portunity to gain teaching experience and

to revise undamental principles. The

natural scientist spends the remaining

time doing research very traditionally

on his own. In experimental physics,

o course, the situation is very dierent,

explains Douwe Bonthuis. Work in

the laboratory is always done in a team,

you exchange opinions and discuss

your ndings. He decided very con-

sciously in avour o a doctorate in the

Has the traditional supervisor gone out o style?

An interview with Nobel laureate Proessor Erwin Neher

www.daad.de/promotion

erences between Subject Groups

e kind o doctorate candidates choose

depends on the subject:

Humanities and Social Sciences

ge, interdepartmental research projects

rarer here than in the natural sciences.

ugh the traditional apprentice model is

prevalent, a growing interest in struc-

red programmes is evident here too. A

nt study ocusing on international doc-

ates in Germany (HIS), which involved

nline survey o doctoral students at 20

ersities, shows that so ar some 15% o

anities specialists are involved in struc-

d programmes. One quarter o doctoralents are employed as research assist-

s at university and non-university insti-

. A little over hal o all up-and-coming

archers in the humanities conduct their

research alone.

eld o theoretical physics. He meets with

his supervisor twice a week, the working

group comes together once a week. The

dierences between subject groupsare

considerable: while humanities specialists

or social scientists oten work on their

doctorate alone, natural scientists and en-

gineers are more likely to have doctoral

Engineering and Natural Sciences

Roughly hal the doctoral students in

the natural sciences (the proportion is a

little higher among engineers) become

research assistants and are tied into re-

search projects rom the outset. They are

regarded as colleagues rom their frst

day and gain valuable experience or their

uture careers. Time management is the

order to the day: not neglecting your own

research can become a challenge in addi-

tion to the many duties at the institute.

Medicine

Whether they are involved in clinical, ex-

perimental or theoretical research, medical

scientists usually take the traditional route

to a doctorate. Students should complete

their doctorate beore beginning their

strenuous internship. In research terms, a

doctoral dissertation in medicine is more

comparable with a diploma thesis and in-

volves ar less input than in other disci-

plines.

posts and work with colleagues within

their respective department. This is a de-

velopment that is now also emerging

in other disciplines. DAAD expert Birgit

Klsener says, In principle, the struc-

tured doctoral programmes are ostering

a culture that has always existed in the

natural sciences.

Most Popular Doctorate Subjects

Biology 14.2%

Chemistry 11.6%

Medicine 10.6%

Physics 8.4%

Mechanical Engineering 4.0%

Electrical Engineering 3.%

Subjects with the most doctorates by oreign

students, 200 (o a total o 3,4 passed

examinations), source: Destatis


6/17


Compared with other countries, ound the

Federal Report on the Promotion o Up

and Coming Academic Research Talent

(BuWIN), Germany oers the broadest

range o research opportunities or doctoral

students everything rom cultural studies

to photonics. Thats also why gaining an

overview o the countless programmes on

oer is not easy (see box or useul tips). In

addition, each programme has its own dis-

tinct individual eatures. Yet a students

choice o programme can have a decisive

impact on his or her success. It denitely

pays o to obtain as much inormation as

you can and, i necessary, to use the adviso-

ry services provided by DAAD ofces or

DAAD inormation centres abroad (ad-

dresses and links can be ound on the

DAAD website at www.daad.de/ofces).

In addition to the research training groups,

international research training groups,

graduate schools and International Max

Planck Research Schools mentioned earli-

er, the DAAD has also selected 188 inter-

national doctoral programmes that meet

specic criteria. These programmes cover

almost all subject areas. A particularly

large number are available, however, in

mathematical and scientic disciplines as

well as in law, economics and the social

sciences.

The Helmholtz Association maintains a

total o 16 world-class research centres, in-

cluding such well-known institutions as

the Alred Wegener Institute or Polar and

Marine Research in Bremerhaven, the Ger-

man Electron Synchrotron in Hamburg

and the German Cancer Research Centre

in Heidelberg. Special emphasis is placed

on international research and key areas in-

clude interchange with China and Russia.

Doctoral research in industry

Programmes involving industrial coopera-

tion can be particularly interesting. Re-

search-oriented companies nd it useul to

attract up-and-coming researchers through

doctoral programmes, while doing a doc-

torate in industry or business oers re-

searchers an attractive combination o the-

ory and practice. Many big-name German

companies cooperate with universities and

oer appropriate research projects. As a

ructured Programmes:ide Range o Opportunities

Paths to a Doctorate 11

ternational Doctoral Programmes

DAAD maintains an Internet database

uctured doctoral programmes in Ger-

many. All the programmes listed have

en careully selected by the DAAD and

d out, or example, because they oer

ernationally recognized qualifcations

are conducted partly or wholly in Eng-

h (or another oreign language). Their

ricula are internationally oriented and

involve, or example, periods abroad

or participation by oreign visiting lec-

s. The programmes in the DAAD data-

e also oer special academic and gen-

eral support or international doctoral

ents. More inormation is available at

w.daad.de/international-programmes

Im doing a doctorate in the

environmental technology sector

and am investigating cost-benet

analyses o waste water treatment

plants. Water is an important subject in

my country. I need to exchange views

with other researchers. Next door there

are statisticians and chemists I can

discuss results with them at any time.

Jaime Cardona, Columbia

The economist is completing a doctorate at

the Helmholtz Interdisciplinary Graduate School

or Environmental Research in Leipzig.

Structured doctoral programmes o a high

standard have also been established under

the umbrella o the Helmholtz Association,

Germanys largest scientic organization.

rule, young researchers receive temporary

contracts o employment, which also pro-

vides nancial security while they com-

plete their doctoral research. In return,

they have to work in the respective corpo-

rate departments. However, combining a

job and research does not only demand a

great deal o discipline. The interests o

university and company can dier and a

subject o great scientic interest may not

interest the company at all. Nonetheless,

this combination has great advantages: it

allows doctoral students to gain proession-

al experience and establish important con-

tacts. I they are employed by the company

ater completing their doctorate, they usu-

ally assume responsibility much aster, be-

cause theres no induction period. Compa-

nies such as Nokia Siemens Networks

(NSN), Audi and BoschRexroth, or exam-

ple, oer opportunities to join the business

through doctoral research.

Helmholtz Association

The Helmholtz Association is a community

o 16 scientifc-technical and biological-

medical research centres. With 28,000

sta and an annual budget o 2.8 billion

euros, it is Germanys largest scientifc or-

ganization. Its mission is to advance re-

search that contributes to answering the

urgent questions o science, society and

industry. In the process, it ocuses, or ex-

ample, on questions o mobility and ener-

gy supply or on fnding therapies or pre-

viously incurable diseases.

Dr. Gdler, can you briefy explain what the Research Explorer oers?

The Research Explorer is a unique online directory o German research centres that

provides central access to inormation about nearly 20,000 institutes at higher edu-

cation institutions and non-university research establishments with just a ew clicks

o the mouse.

What is the services main target group?

The Research Explorer is completely bilingual and designed to present inormation

in German and English. It is thus aimed at an international audience or example,

young researchers who are interested in conducting research in Germany. However,

established researchers and the sta o international research and support organiza-

tions will also nd it a useul starting point. REx is the best means o gaining inor-

mation about and rom the main participants in publicly unded research in Germa-

ny rom one source.

How can oreign students who are interested in doing a doctorate in Germany

best use REx?For an initial overview o the higher education institutions that oer your particular

subject, you just have to select the subject and you will be presented with a list. The

second step then leads to the website o the institute, which will present up-to-date

inormation and the relevant contacts. Cooperation with another partner, the Ger-

man Rectors Conerence (HRK), will make it possible to use REx to conduct direct

searches o doctoral study opportunities at higher education institutions rom the

beginning o 2010.

Can you describe the most eective way o carrying out a search?

To gain an initial impression, you can rst select a city rom the map to see which

institutes are available at that location. I you want to nd an institute with a specic

subject specialization, you use the Search Assistant to select a subject group. You

can then gradually narrow down the area o research until you obtain the desired

result.

How can you use the Research Explorer (REx)? An interview with Dr. Jrgen

Gdler, director o the Inormation Management Department at the DFG


www.research-explorer.dg.de

Research Explorer is the research direc-

tory o the DFG and DAAD. Continuously

updated, it includes details o some 20,000

institutes at German higher education in-

stitutions and non-university research

establishments which can be searched ac-

cording to geographical, subject and other

structural criteria (German and English).

www.helmholtz.de

The Helmholtz Association provides inor-

mation on its website about vacancies or

doctoral students under the heading

Working at Helmholtz (German, English,

Chinese, Russian).

Links

Finding the Right Doctoral

Programme

Theres no way around it: nding a suit-

able doctoral programme involves in-

tensive individual inquiry. There is not

one comprehensive overview o all the

dierent programmes.

The ollowing websites, or example,

provide a useul starting point or re-

search:

www.hochschulkompass.de

www.research-explorer.dg.de

Websites o the Max Planck Institutes,

the Fraunhoer Society, Helmholtz

Association, and the Leibniz

Association

Websites o universities and graduate

centres

It is also possible to use the advisory

services provided by DAAD ofces and

DAAD inormation centres abroad (see

page 30).


7/17

Finanzierung 13Doing a Doctorate in Germany

Every doctorate is a challenge rom the

initial choice o a suitable topic to nding

an interested doctoral supervisor or an ap-

propriate doctoral programme. The entire

process, which not only involves writing a

doctoral dissertation but also an oral ex-

aminationand publishing the dissertation,

can certainly have its ups and downs.

Sometimes the work involved is not quite

the way you imagined or relations with

your supervisor turn out to be dicult.

Perseverance and sel-criticism are also re-

quired in order to successully and produc-

tively complete the doctoral process.

International doctoral students are expect-

ed to be open-minded about the German

higher education system (see interview),

which difers considerably in many points

rom models in other countries. The tradi-

tional doctoral process in particular de-

mands a high degree o personal initiative.

Basically, the candidates should take the

ollowing points into account:

Motivation

Given that the topic o the dissertation will

keep the doctoral student busy or several

years, it should be well chosen and o real

interest to the candidate. Ater all, the best

motivation or work is to enjoy it. I you

have a genuine enthusiasm or the research

project, then you will persevere during di-

cult phases. An additional motivation is the

experience o accomplishment at an early

stage or example, through publication.

Doctorate:eeting the Challenge


Doctoral Dissertation

naugural dissertation is an independ-

t written work o research with which

doctoral student applies to be awarded

octoral degree. The ormal criteria are

laid down in the respective university

epartments examination regulations.

he doctoral dissertation is intended to

ove the candidates ability to carry out

horough academic research and must

stitute an advance in knowledge. Pre-

ting a dissertation is the precondition

or initiating the doctoral process.

Time Management

Doing a doctorate involves various tasks.

For example, i you are working as an as-

sistant in a university department, you w ill

have teaching duties and administrative

tasks to perorm in addition to your re-

search work. The best advice comes rom

colleagues: doctoral candidates can benet

rom their experience and learn how to

set priorities and structure tasks.

Cooperation

Particularly when it comes to the appren-

tice model, the doctoral student is depend-

ent on the goodwill o one university pro-

essor. This dependence is something that

has to be accepted, even i this is occasion-

ally hard. The success o your doctorate is

at risk i you do not have the ull support o

your supervisor.

Teamwork

Research has a lot to do with communica-

tion, debate and collaboration. Working on

your own or months may get you no-

where. I the regular presentation o your

results is not institutionalized as in struc-

tured programmes then doctoral students

themselves must ensure that they receive

eedback on their work.

Flexibility

Supervisors oten leave part o the supervi-

sion to their assistants. Doctoral candidates

should thereore be open-minded and not

xated too much on one person. Exchanges

o ideas with postdoc researchers take

place on a more equal basis and are there-

ore oten a lot more relaxed.

AdaptabilityEvery university department and every

research institute has unwritten laws that

have to be obeyed. Initially, you should

be more reserved and get to know the new

surroundings.

Working Techniques

The ormal requirements o research

work in Germany difer rom those in

other countries. Even i doctoral students

have already acquired a basic research

methodology during their earlier studies,

they should expand their repertoire. Ater

all, they are involved in understanding

and processing a much more complex

subject matter than or a rst degree.

Many universities provide appropriate

courses or this.

Oral Examination

Part o the doctoral process is an oral

examination in the orm o a so-called

Rigorosum or Disputation. During this

oral exam, the candidate presents the

method and fndings o his or her disser-

tation publicly at the university and

deends and substantiates them in a sub-

sequent discussion. As a rule, the Rigoro-

sum constitutes a non-public oral valida-

tion o the academic qualifcation. In

addition to these two, there are also other

mixed orms.

Publication

As a rule, the doctoral certifcate is only

granted to the doctoral candidate when,

within a certain time-limit, the dissertation

is made publicly available in printed or

similarly reproduced orm, and when a

certain number o obligatory copies have

been presented to the university. The can-

didate then receives the right to use the

title o Doctor. Most universities now

accept a variety o ways o publishing doc-

toral dissertations (publishing house, scien-

tifc journal, electronic orm, etc.). They

are laid down in the respective examina-

tion regulations.

Proessor Gymnich, as one o the authors o Handbuch Promotion, a guide or

doctoral students, you ocused on The Internationalization o Doctoral Train-

ing. Over the past years, the percentage o international doctoral students in

Germany has risen signifcantly. How did that come about?

Overall there is growing interest in studying in Germany. In recent years, German

universities have also begun to compete more or doctoral students at the interna-

tional level, and this is now bearing ruit. A German doctorate still has a good repu-

tation and this applies both to the traditional doctorate and structured pro-

grammes.

As a proessor, what do you expect o international doctoral students?

I you want to do a d octorate in Germany, you should be open-minded and willing to

adapt to a new academic system. This starts with the very way research texts are writ-

ten. They are much more ormalized in Germany than in France, or example.

What should uture doctoral students pay attention to when selecting a university?

One point is whether there are multilingual opportunities and how the nal exam-

ination is structured. At some universities you can be examined in English, French

or Spanish, which can be helpul. In terms o content, too, there are great diferences

between the examinations. In Giessen, the main points in the doctoral dissertation

are presented and discussed; in Heidelberg, this is ollowed by general questions;

in Bonn, our theses have to be submitted that have nothing at all to do w ith the

doctoral dissertation. It is important to study the examination regulations in good

time.

What do proessors expect o international doctoral candidates?

An interview with Proessor Mar ion Gymnich, University o Bonn


ue and collaboration: doctoral

nts should try to get early feedback

ir work

Good communication: Professor Liqiu Meng, TU Munich, in conversation with students


8/17


Research Training Groups

octoral research training groups com-

ne elements o the traditional supervi-

n o individual doctoral students with

nnovations o structured doctoral pro-

mmes. These groups are supported in

tutionalized orm by an association o

university proessors whose aim is to

tly train and advise doctoral students.

mpared with the traditional approach,

s improved supervision is intended to

siderably shorten the time required to

mplete a doctorate. What is more, doc-

al research training groups oer more

ortunities or eedback and help candi-

s fnd their place in the scientifc com-

unity. This is ideal or overcoming the

uent social and scientifc isolation ex-

enced by traditional doctoral students

nd minimizing the risks that can arise

ring the doctoral process. Universities

an concentrate their doctoral research

ning groups in centres or postgradu-

ate studies.

Moussa Sangare has just held a conerence

with his working group on Skype and

exchanged ideas with ve other doctoral

students about the next phase o their

research. The 39-year-old Arican has been

studying or a doctorate at the TU Dresden

or the past two years. He is writing his

doctoral dissertation on the quality o pri-

vate universities in his country, Ivory

Coast. Regular exchanges o ideas in small

working groups and scheduled lectures

and seminars are part o the programme

oered by the research training group on

lielong learning. This encourages net-

working and orms a clearly dened rame-

work, thereby integrating signicant com-

ponents o structured doctoral

programmes.

Dresden is another example o the t rend

towards graduate schools and postgraduate

research groups that is catching on at Ger-

man universities. We meet regularly or

workshops and colloquia where we present

our research ndings, says Sangare. The

doctoral students receive eedback rom all

our proessors in the participating depart-

ments. These research groups are small

and the working language is German

which is no problem or the Arican stu-

dent, who studied German and trained as

a teacher o German in Abidjan. I I do

have a question, I simply have to go to my

colleagues next door and they help me im-

mediately. His doctoral supervisor, who

already supervised his Masters, is also

available when he needs him. This dia-

logue is important or Sangare. Which is

why he cycles to his ofce at the Institute

or Vocational Education as early as possi-

ble every morning. Over the past weeks, he

has taken advantage o every minute so as

to complete the theoretical part o his

work.

He opens his laptop every day on the dot o

ten, works at his dissertation until early

evening and then, to counterbalance this,

does two hours o sport. Ater that, he

works at his desk oten until late into the

night. He is surrounded by piles o books,

which he was able to order and collect

rom the university library.

Moussa Sangare is a bit behind in his

schedule. He has a scholarship rom the

Hans Bckler Foundation, which supports

the research training group. This political

oundation also expects sociopolitical in-

volvement rom its scholarship-holders, so

Sangare has already written a book about

the political situation in his country. Now

he has to make up or the time he devoted

to that publication. The scholarship is or

three years, during which he has to com-

plete his dissertation. At the moment, my

best riend is discipline.

Sociologist Szilvia Major is planning to

take a lot more t ime or her doctoral disser-

tation on long-term partnerships. To -

nance her doctorate, the Hungarian candi-

aration. Anyone like Szilvia Major who

aims to study or a doctorate on the basis

o the traditional apprentice model relies

heavily on the commitment o a single uni-

versity proessor. Given that she is a coun-

sellor or international doctoral students,

she hears many a lament about this partic-

ular topic. Her own experience, however, is

that a committed university proessor can

have a great impact, even within the tradi-tional doctoral ramework. My proessors

doctoral students all meet twice a month

or a weekend where he lives to present

their research ndings, says Major. They

stay at the local youth hostel. Its not ob-

ligatory, but its very useul.

Szilvia Major is married to a Hungarian

trainee doctor. They dont know i they

want to return t o Hungary. Moussa San-

gare on the other hand is very keen to n-

ish his doctorate or personal reasons. He

has three children he only sees once a year.

My goal is to return home immediately a-

ter my doctorate to work there at the uni-

versity and be able to lead a normal amily

lie.

date works three times a week as a

counsellor or oreign doctoral students at

the University o Giessen. She is clear

about her career goal: I would like to work

in partnership counselling, which is what

my dissertation ocuses on. The 27-year-

old is taking the traditional doctoral path,

so she is able to combine writing her dis-

sertation with a part-time job at her univer-

sitys International Ofce. I think its im-portant that I gather practical experience

while writing my dissertaion even i it

takes longer as a result.

Szilvia Major is reckoning with a period o

our or ve years to complete her doctor-

ate: Im still in the reading phase, when I

can occasionally take a book with me to the

swimming pool, she says. But when she

starts on the theoretical part, she intends to

work in her ofce at the university every

morning and to lock her door rom midday

to devote hersel ully to her dissertation.

She is convinced this is a good plan: That

way, the day is structured. But it all re-

quires sel-discipline, which is why I could

never work at home. I need the spatial sep-

esearch Routine: Sel-DisciplineEssential

When I start on the theoretical part o my dissertation,

Ill be in my university ofce every day and make sure my

day is properly structured. I couldnt work at home.

Szilvia Major, Hungary

The sociologist is doing her doctorate at Giessen University and also advises oreign doctoral students.

My best riend is discipline. I

would like to complete my

doctorate quickly. We regularly

discuss our fndings in work-

shops, which I fnd very helpul.

Moussa Sangare, Ivory Coast

The German teacher is doing his doctorate at the

research training group on lielong learning at the

TU Dresden.

German

Although you can get by with English in

many doctoral programmes and in most

university towns, you will miss out on

many aspects o everyday lie i you have

no knowledge o German. And dont or-

get that German is an important language

o business and research. More than 100

million people speak German as their

mother tongue and another 24 millionpeople worldwide can speak the language.


blog.scholarz.net

Everything on this communication plat-

orm or junior researchers revolves

around studying or a doctorate and writ-

ing a doctoral dissertation. Also o interest

are the posts on working scientifcally in

Web 2.0 (German, English).

Link


9/17

Promovieren in Deutschland

Binational Doctoral Programmes

Binational doctoral programmes, also

known as cotutelle programmes, involve

cooperation in the supervision o doctoral

candidates between (at least) one interna-

tional university and one German univer-

sity. As a rule, this includes working visits

to produce the doctoral dissertation at the

participating institutions as well as the

participation o external supervisors in the

fnal doctoral examination process. Per-

manent partnerships have been ormed,

or example, in the international research

training groups supported by the DFG and

the 25 Franco-German graduate colleges

organized under the umbrella o the

Franco-German University (FGU). Howev-

er, this process does not conclude with

the award o a binational doctorate, but

a doctoral degree gained on the basis o

German examination regulations.

Doing a Doctorate in Germany Locations 17

International Max Planck

Research Schools

International Max Planck Research Schools

(IMPRS) are part o a support programme

or young researchers that is aimed at es-

pecially gited German and international

students. The 55 International Max Planck

Research Schools at 32 locations oer anopportunity to prepare or a doctorate with-

in the ramework o a structured interdisci-

plinary training programme under excel-

lent research conditions.

Special emphasis is placed on international

cooperation: the research schools are espe-

cially aimed at international doctoral stu-

dents, whom they wish to interest in study-

ing or a doctorate in Germany. It is hoped

that hal o the students will come rom

outside Germany. In September 2009 the

proportion o international doctoral stu-

dents among the 2,100 IMPRS partici-

pants was 53%. The doctoral examination

can be completed either at a German high-

er education institution or the students

home university.

Schleswig-Holstein

Lower Saxony

North Rhine-Westphalia

Rhineland-Palatinate

Saarland

Hesse

Baden-Wrttemberg

Bavaria

Thuringia

Saxony-Anhalt

Saxony

Brandenburg

Berlin

Mecklenburg-WesternPomerania

Hamburg

Bremen

Hannover

Berlin

Lbeck

Hamburg

BremenOldenburg

Braunschweig

Frankfurt/O.Osnabrck

Hildesheim

Clausthal-Zellerfeld

Magdeburg

Friedensau

Leipzig

Dresden

Chemnitz

Freiberg

Cottbus

Potsdam

GreifswaldRostock

Kiel

Flensburg

Zittau

Passau

Bochum

Mnster

Dortmund

HagenDsseldorf

Duisburg

St. AugustinBonn

Aachen

Trier

Mainz

Landau

Frankfurt a.M.

Darmstadt

Kaiserslautern

Karlsruhe

Ludwigsburg

Stuttgart

Tbingen

Freiburg

Augsburg

Benediktbeuern

MunichMartinsried

Seewiesen-Starnberg

Garching

Regensburg

Erlangen

Cologne

Essen Witten-Herdecke

Bielefeld

Detmold

EichstttIngolstadt

Neuendettelsau

BayreuthBamberg

Konstanz

Weilheim-Bierbronnen

Lahr

SaarbrckenSpeyer

KoblenzVallendar

Oestrich-Winkel

Oberursel

Paderborn

Wuppertal

Hohenheim

Bruchsal

WeingartenTrossingen

Wrzburg

Nuremberg

Bad Nauheim

Golm

Kaltenburg-Lindau

Lneburg

Vechta

Halle

ErfurtWeimar

Ilmenau

Jena

Gttingen

hafenFriedrichs-

Schwbisch Gmnd

GieenFulda

Marburg

Kassel

Siegen

Mannheim

Heidelberg

Ulm

7

2

2

3

3

4

3

7

3

3

4

3

4

4

2

5

2

2

2

2

3

2

2

2

2

here Can You Study forDoctorate? An Overview

Universities with the right to

award doctorates

Cities with several universities

with the right to award doctorates

Excellence Initiative Graduate

Schools

International Max Planck

Research Schools

2

Research Training Groups, GraduateSchools, Max Planck Research Schools

Excellence Initiative

Graduate Schools

These graduate schools are doctoral pro-

grammes unded within the ramework o

the Excellence Initiative. They oer struc-

tured programmes or doctoral students in

an outstanding research environment. At

the present time, 39 graduate schools arebeing unded with an average o roughly

5.7 million euros each or 5 years. Graduate

schools are more broadly based than the

more specialized research training groups:

several departments engage in joint re-

search on an overarching question. A great

deal o emphasis is placed on the interna-

tional and interdisciplinary composition o

the teams. One advantage o interdepart-

mental cooperation is the intensive inter-

change between doctoral students and pro-

essors o related subject areas. Fast-track

programmes can enable especially highly

qualifed candidates to start at the graduate

school ater only one Masters year. The ex-

amination can also usually be completed in

English.

Research Training Groups and Inter-

national Research Training Groups

The German Research Foundation (DFG)

currently supports 227 research training

groups (Graduiertenkolleg, GRK), including

58 international research training groups

(IGK). One or more international universi-

ties cooperate with a German university

in the international research training

groups. Doctoral students are supported by

a group at the German university and a

partner group abroad. Doctoral students

draw up a personal doctoral plan with a

fxed time rame in conjunction with their

proessors. Study and research pro-

grammes are developed jointly and the

doctoral students are supervised by two

proessors, who belong to dierent univer-

sities. Additionally, bilateral doctoral

support entails a six-month stay abroad

with the respective partner.

Higher Education and Rankings

The German higher education system o-

ers a wide range o dierent institutions.

Germanys 360 higher education institu-

tions include universities, technical univer-

sities, colleges o art, music and flm as

well as the universities o applied sciences

(Fachhochschule, FH), which, however, do

not have the right to award doctorates. Aca-

demic excellence is not only ound in big

cities. Rankings do not traditionally play

a great role in students choice o universi-

ty. Reliable rankings based on various

indicators o academic perormance and

quality have only been produced or a

ew years. The ollowing rankings can be

recommended:

www.che-ranking.de

www.dfg.de/ranking

www.humboldt-foundation.de/ranking

Higher Education and

Education Policy

Germany is a ederation o 16 Lnder,

or states, each o which has its own,

lthough limited sovereignty. The Fed-

eration and the Lnder cooperate on

ducational matters, but undamentally

education policy, which also includes

he administration o higher education

stitutions, is largely the responsibility

he Lnder. The Federation is primarily

sponsible or the felds o educational

arch, vocational training, urther train-

as well as degrees and research und-

ing at higher education institutions.

www.dfg.de/gk

The German Research Foundation (DFG)

lists all currently unded national and in-

ternational research training groups at

this address (German, English).

www.dfg.de/exzellenzinitiative/

gsc

This is where the DFG presents an over-

view, including links, o the unded gradu-

ate schools (German, English).

www.mpg.de

Clicking on the Research Schools

heading at this address takes you to an

overview o all International Max Planck

Research Schools (German, English).

www.helmholtz.de/

graduiertenschulen-kollegs

The Helmholtz Association supports

young researchers in graduate schools

and research schools (German, English).

Links


10/17

ceptance as a doctoral student. As a rule

you need a certicate rom your supervisor,

certied qualication documents, and a

certicate recognizing that your university

certicates make you eligible or doctoral

studies. The next step is enrolment or a

doctoral degree course. However, you do

not have to enrol or doctoral studies in all

subject areas. It depends on the respective

departments doctoral regulations, which

everyone should read through very careully.

They can be ound on every departments

website. Enrolment as a doctoral student

has many advantages or example, a bet-

ter status under Aliens Law. Admission to

the course o study is a prerequisite. This

is usually issued by the registrars oce on

submission o your qualications, the cer-

ticate o recognition and i necessary

proo o your language skills. You have to

provide evidence o your knowledge o

German (DSH or TestDaF examinations) i

your dissertation is to be w ritten in Ger-

man. This is by no means always the case,

and it depends upon the respective doctoral

degree regulations.

In principle, i you are applying or a place

in a structured doctoral programme or at a

research training group or graduate school,

you will have to take similar steps. In this

case, however, the application or the pro-

gramme takes top priority. The research

subject or the planned doctoral disserta-

tion must t in with the main ocus o the

programme, and students must have grad-

uated with a good or very good grade in

an examination that is recognized in Ger-many. The application, which can oten be

made over the Internet, usually but not

always proceeds in several stages. First, a

en Steps to Becoming a Doctoral Student www.internationale-studierende.de

Comprehensive and very useul inorma-

tion or international students provided by

Deutsches Studentenwerk, the student

services organization (German, English).

www.research-in-germany.de/faq

This central website on research in Ger-

many oers an inormation brochure

FAQs Prepare your research stay, which

you can download as a PDF fle (English).

Doctoral Regulations

These contain the most important aca-

demic and departmental rules governing

the doctorate procedure. They cover ad-

mission to a doctoral programme, admis-

sion conditions (degree qualifcations,

grades, etc.), regulations on submitting

the dissertation and drawing up expert

opinions, as well as the details o the oral

examination.

DSH

The German Language Examination or

University Admission (DSH) consists o a

written and an oral exam and is usually

ree o charge. Some universities charge

ees. An alternative is to urnish proo o

having passed an examination in your

home country according to the TestDaF

procedure (www.testda.de).

Residence Permit

All doctoral students rom non-EU coun-

tries or countries outside the European

Economic Area require a residence permit.

It is issued by the local aliens authority

(Auslnderamt), where you can also ob-

tain the application or a residence permit.

A residence permit is always limited to a

certain time period, but can be extended.

The application or renewal must always

be submitted beore the permit expires.

Recognition of a

University Degree

plications or recognition o university

rees can be made at the deans ofce,

e respective departments doctoral ad-

ions board or the universitys interna-

nal ofce. In some cases, fnal admis-

sion to the doctoral process is made

endent on a urther examination to es-

tablish whether the candidate has an

ivalent level o profciency to that o a

erman qualifcation. Law aculties re-

ently make additional demands result-

rom the dierences in curricula relat-

g to respective national legal systems.

Studying for a Doctorate

with a Bachelors Degree

articularly well-qualifed oreign appli-

cants can also be admitted to doctoral

studies with a Bachelors degree. As a

e, admission is subject to an aptitude

est. This is usually preceded by a one-

preparation period. Individual univer-

s decide on the procedure and access

it. Decisions on admission are always

n on a case-by-case basis. Candidates

ould thereore contact the responsible

ulty. Regulations can also be ound in

the respective departments doctoral

degree regulations.

Anyone who wants to study or a doctorate

in Germany has to have a recognized

university degree. This usually means

having a qualication equivalent to a Mas-

ters degree, or a German Magister, Dip-

lom or Staatsexamen. In exceptional cases

you may also be accepted as a doctoral can-

didate with a Bachelors degree. The next

step is to nd a supervisor a Doktorvateror Doktormutter in German or to apply

or a place in a structured doctoral pro-

gramme.

At present the most common path to a doc-

torate in Germany involves working under

the supervision o a proessor. Everyone

has to decide or themselves which eld o

research they want to pursue, and which

universities and proessors are on their

short list. The potential doctoral student

then has to apply personally to these uni-

versity proessors. It is important to do so

in good time, preerably in person (or in

writing) and you should be well-prepared

with inormation about your previous

background and academic perormance

and your academic goals. Well-prepared

also means that you should already have a

brie synopsis o the doctoral dissertation

you are planning to write. Then you have

to convince your chosen supervisor to

accept you. Ater all, the relationship be-

tween supervisor and doctoral student

is supposed to last several years usually

three to ve and involves a l ot o work

or both sides.

Once you have ound a supervisor, themost important step has been taken. The

responsible department or the doctoral

admissions board must conrm your ac-

denitely not enter the country on a tourist

visa. This cannot be converted later, and

you may be orced to return to your home

country.

Top o the to-do list on arriving in Germany

is registering with the local residents reg-

istration oce (Einwohnermeldeamt) or

citizens service centre (Brgerservice).Everyone has to register there. Furthermore,

i you dont come rom an EU country, Ice-

land, Norway or Liechtenstein, you also

have to go to the local aliens authority

(Auslnderamt) to apply or a residence

permit. For this you need proo o your

health insurance (you also need this or en-

rolment, see page 22). You will automatically

have health insurance cover i you have a

contract o employment. It is also important

to look or a place to live early enough. You

usually need a certicate o enrolment to

get a place in a student hostel. Student ser-

vices will help with accommodation. Doc-

toral students also need a current account.

You can open one at any bank or savings

bank it is usually ree o charge.

letter o application with your CV, rst

degree thesis, a synopsis o your planned

dissertation and the reasons or your appli-

cation is submitted to the responsible

deans oce or school. You may then be

asked to submit a detailed application with

a more comprehensive synopsis and at

least two reerences rom university teach-

ers. The third stage usually consists o apersonal interview. The programme and

college websites provide inormation on

the exact procedures. I your application is

successul, you will take part in a doctoral

programme with seminars and tutorials

geared to a doctoral students needs, and

be given individual supervision by a team

o university proessors. A personal tutor is

usually available to help with ormalities.

Practical advice

Irrespective o whether you will be study-

ing with a supervisor or in a structured

programme, the bureaucracy is the same

or everyone. Future doctoral students

rom non-EU countries need the appropri-

ate visa to enter the country. They should

efore You Start: First Stepsowards a Doctorate in Germany

gree

Find and convince

a supervisor,

or apply to join

a doctoral

programme or

research training

group

Apply for

recognition

of your

degree

If neces-

sary, apply

for accept-

ance as a

doctoral

student in

the depart-

ment

If necessary,

apply for admis-

sion to the doc-

toral process (at

some universi-

ties this is not

necessary until

later)

If neces-

sary, apply

for admis-

sion to a

course

of studies

If necessary,

enrol as a

doctoral student

Links

Requirements 19Doing a Doctorate in Germany

A knowledge of the German language

is always useful but not neces-

sarily an absolute prerequisite for

doing a doctorate in Germany


What does an application to become a doctoral student need to be success-

ful? An Interview with Professor Sandra Klevansky, Director of the Graduate

School of Fundamental Physics at Heidelberg University

Professor Klevansky, what requirements do doctoral students have to meet in Ger-

many apart from the academic ones?

First and oremost they have to be able to work independently and autonomously. This

is important in Germany.

What should an application for acceptance as a doctoral student include in order to

be successful? And what mistakes can be avoided in advance?

We expect outstanding grades, a comprehensive application with all the necessary docu-

mentation (certicates, transcripts o records, reerences) and a clearly ormulated inter-

est in the subject. Applicants should not take an unprepared, nave approach. They should

nd out how the process in Germany difers rom studying or a doctorate in their own

country in order to avoid unnecessary surprises or example, that doctoral students do

not only conduct research but may also have to attend courses or give lectures.


11/17


12/17


Most weekends, Yang Ji and his wie

Hang Zhao can be seen riding around on

their bikes. They cycle through the Eng-

lish Garden or to the Olympic Park,

stretch out on the grass and enjoy the

summer. Munich is a very beautiul

city, says the Chinese computer science

graduate, who is studying or his doctor-

ate at the TU Munich. The people are

open, the environment is very interna-

tional, and everything is very green here.

Ater graduating rom the Friedrich

Schiller University, Jena, in 2007, Ji had

two oers o a doctoral position, one in

Munich and one in Stuttgart. He let his

newly married wie decide it wasnt a

dicult choice or her. Hang Zhao had

frst come to Munich as a student in 2001

to take German courses. I still have

many riends here rom that time. She

subsequently went to Jena to study Ger-

man as a oreign language.

osmopolitan or Cozy:ving in Germany

Living in Germany 23

Cost o Living

ccording to a survey by the Deutsches

Studentenwerk, an average student in

ermany has about 770 euros a month

his or her disposal. O this, 266 euros

spent on rent, 147 euros on ood and

50 euros on clothing. The average stu-

nt spends 82 euros a month on travel;

ealth insurance costs 54 euros. Tele-

ne, Internet, radio and TV ees add up

43 euros. Another 35 euros is needed

r equipment and study materials such

ooks. That leaves 62 euros or leisure,

ulture and sport so that the monthly

costs average 739 euros.

Health Insurance

eryone must have health insurance in

Germany. Proo o health insurance is

ired both or enrolment at the univer-

ty and or your residence permit. You

n be insured with either a statutory or

rivate health insurance company. The

ms vary, depending on the purpose o

dence and your age. Student services

have more details on this.

Moving rom the small university town in

Thuringia to the Bavarian capital in

southern Germany was quite a change or

the young couple. In Jena, its easy to

fnd an apartment or 200 euros at the

most, they explain. We lived in a student

hostel and didnt pay much. But the cost

o living varies quite a lot in Germany,

and Munich is one o the most expensive

cities in the country. The rents are high,

and fnding a place to live is dicult. The

universitys international oce helps in-

ternational doctoral students in their

search, says Ji. He himsel quickly ound

a place on his own through an Internet

website. The scientist pays 780 euros or

www.daad.de/aaa

The DAADs database lists the international

ofces (Akademische Auslandsmter)

at German universities. They can help you

with key issues o higher education and

everyday lie (English, German, Spanish).

www.deutsch-uni.com

This website compiled by the German-as-

a-oreign-language experts at LMU in

Munich makes it easy to fnd courses or

learning German at home on your own

computer. Some o the courses are

personally supervised by tutors (in six

languages).

Links

a two-room apartment in the student dis-

trict o Schwabing. The owner is a gradu-

ate o the TU Munich, Ji says, so we

have something in common.

Yang Ji is employed as a research assistant

at the Computation in Engineering Depart-

ment. There are no fxed working hours.

We come in between nine and ten in the

morning and work until six in the

evening. The computer scientist spends

the early evening with his wie. He then

takes care o some organizational work at

home, flling in orms or preparing a semi-

nar. At the beginning there was a minor

crisis between us, he says. I had so many

things to do at the same time, and my

thoughts were elsewhere in the evenings.

Its a major challenge or many scientists

to make progress with their own research

while assisting with exercises or work-

shops at the same time. The TU Munich

thereore oers targeted training courses

or all doctoral students, where they can

improve their skills in presentation and

personal time management. These

courses have helped me a lot, Ji stresses.

Ive learned to set priorities and work my

way through one thing ater another in a

concentrated way.

The atmosphere is very relaxed in his de-

partment, he says. It doesnt matter what

country you come rom. Everyone is re-

garded as a colleague. His teammates also

have things in common apart rom re-

search. They do sport and go hiking in themountains together. Once a week they

cook together with the proessor in the in-

stitute kitchen. Its a good opportunity to

exchange ideas over lunch and sometimes

have a laugh about everyday academic lie,

says the doctoral student. For example,

about the bureaucracy in Germany, he

adds mischievously.

The scientists talk English among them-

selves and the working group is very inter-

national and diverse. Even so, its very,

very important to learn German, says

Yang Ji. He came to Germany eight years

ago rom north China to study or the Ger-

man Abitur(school-leaving) exam and

learn German at a college in Jena. He was

We enjoyed living in Jena. A small town has theadvantage that you can settle in more easily. But we

also like Munich very much especially its inter-national fair and the mentality o the people here.

Ji Yang and Hang Zhao, China

The computer scientist is studying or his doctorate at the TU Munich; his wie Hang Zhao

is studying in Munich and Jena.

just 19 years old at that time. He tried t o

speak a lot o German rom the beginning.

Most people react very patiently and open-

ly, and theyre riendly about helping you

theres no need to have inhibitions.

His wie, Hang Zhao is just about to fn-

ish her course o study. Shes writing her

thesis in Munich and travels to Jena by

train every two weeks to keep appoint-

ments at the university there. Ji eels it

was a great advantage that he spent his

frst years in Germany in a smaller city

where everything was within comortable

reach. I used to walk the same route

rom my room to the campus every day; I

knew the lady at the bakery and the library

Main Countries o Origin

The most common countries o origin o oreign doc-

toral students, 2007 (rom a total o 3,499 examina-

tions passed), source: Destatis

China 8.2%

India 7.1%

Poland 5.1%

Russia 4.9%

Italy 3.9%

Greece 3.5%

Romania 3.4%

Austria 3.3%

France 3.0%

Turkey 2.7%

sta it was a bit like a amily. You can

settle in more easily. In Munich, by con-

trast, everything is much more interna-

tional, he says. But the couple like that,

too: I can go out or a Chinese or Thai or

Vietnamese meal here. You can fnd sim-

ply everything even speciality ood

shops, says Yang Ji.

Furthermore, he is particularly ond o

the mentality o people in the Alpine oot-

hills. I love Munich because the Bavari-

ans have a culture and identity o their

own and are so proud o it, says Yang Ji.

And, o course, he also appreciates the

amous beer. I think the Oktoberest is

great!


13/17


That was ve years ago.

As a DAAD scholarship-

holder, I obtained a Masters degree in

computer science in Saarbrcken. The city

seemed like a paradise to me! So calm, and

you could get everywhere you wanted to go

in 15 minutes. While I was there, I started

courses in ballroom and Latin dancing.

ommitment and Initiative:hat You Need to Feel at Home

Living in Germany 25

Getting Used to Life in Germany

he international ofces at universities

research institutes do a lot to make it

ier or international doctoral students

ettle in. Sightseeing tours, excursions

to the surrounding area and language

rses all help, especially in the frst ew

nths, and enable people to make con-

s and gain an impression o their new

me. Everywhere, student bodies, inter-

onal orums and working groups oer

pportunity to engage in academic lie.

re are also many opportunities or in-

sting leisure pursuits o campus. This

ht be a cooking class, a dance club or

subscription to the local gym. The ad-

ntage is that you can also get to know

ople there who have nothing whatso-

ever to do with research!

www.thesis.de

This interdisciplinary network or doctoraland postdoc students already has about

600 members. They are organized in local

and regional networks and also meet

or regular get-togethers and events (Ger-

man).

www.internationale-studierende.de

The Deutsches Studentenwerk website

has collected lots o tips or a smooth start

to your time in Germany under the head-

ing On arrival (German, English).

www.studenten-wg.de

You can use the search unction here

to look or apartments or rooms in shared

apartments throughout Germany

(German).

Links

I came to Germany after studying

mathematics in Istanbul.

That was very good or me because I was

the only oreigner there and everybody

spoke German. This helped me to get to

know many dierent people and not just

students o my own age at the university. I

was enthusiastic about the Germans men-

tality their respect, openness and riend-

liness and Im still riends with many o

Youre more likely to get value or

money here. Apartments are cheaper andoten easier to nd than in big cities.

This is a major advantage, especially or

amilies.

Its oten easier to settle in here: every-

thing is much smaller, less complicated,

you can nd your way around quickly

and are soon meeting amiliar aces.

Get on your bike! Being close to nature

is one o the great advantages o the more

rural towns.

Typical university towns like Heidel-

berg, Freiburg or Constance have a

strong student inrastructure.

Anyone who likes opera, theatre,

exhibitions and big-city bustle in gener-al will love cities like Berlin, Munich,

Cologne, Hamburg or Frankurt.

Shopping is almost like being home;

the cosmopolitan air o big cities also

rubs o on the kind o shops that are

available. Its no problem here to nd

international specialities.

Large cities usually also have a high

concentration o international compa-

nies. This is particularly interesting or

people who want to do a doctorate in a

company or make job contacts at an

early stage.

!Small towns are quieter, but also

more provincial. The range o culturalevents is more limited (but the quality

isnt necessarily poorer).

There are usually ewer international

restaurants and grocery stores.

And although major corporations

dont settle exclusively in metropolitan

areas, they do tend to be more concen-

trated there. This is a drawback when

youre looking or a potential employer.

Longer travel times to the nearest air-

port.

them today. My ather also studied in Ger-

many. I was actually born here, but grew

up in Turkey. I wanted to study here to get

to know the country, the people and the

culture; I also appreciate the individual

reedom in Germany. I was also looking

or an opportunity to study at a university

with high, international standards. I decid-

ed in avour o the private Jacobs Universi-

ty Bremen because o the expertise o my

supervisor, Proessor Michael Kohlhase, in

the eld o articial intelligence, and be-

cause the campus is so international: its

exceptional to be among students rom

100 countries. I had a scholarship in the

rst year; now I have a part-time job in a

research project. My doctoral dissertation

examines ways o enabling dierent com-

puter systems to work together in mathe-

matical knowledge management. Apart

rom the research, Im involved in the

Graduate Students Association. It means a

lot to me to be involved in shaping the col-

lege lie. I live in Bremen-Nord. Its very

idyllic there, very green. In my spare time I

like to ride my bike or go jogging, and the

area is ideal or that. But I never really have

much time or it, Im araid!

Yet all these advantages have their

price. Rents are high, as is the generalcost o living. The capital Berlin, o all

places, is an exception here: living in

Berlin is much cheaper than in other

major German cities or comparable Eu-

ropean capitals.

A new language, new surroundings,

new job, little ree time. Finding your

way around as a newcomer in a big city

isnt easy.

And you need a lot o luck i you

bring your amily with you, because

crches and nurseries are completely

overrun in many city districts. It can be

difcult to nd childcare places.

Everyday life on campus: Fulya Horozal,

27, is studying for her doctorate on

knowledge management in computer

systems under Professor Michael Kohlhase

Fulya Horozal, Turkey

The researcher is a PhD student in the

Computer Science Department at

Jacobs University in Bremen.

Pros and Cons: Doing a Doctorate in a Big City Pros and Cons: Doing a Doctorate in a Small Town


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